An insiders view of the UK legal world - no holds barred discussion on topics that you want hear about. Law as youve never seen it before before.
Enough of the fluff - legalspy gives it to you straight!

Friday, February 16, 2007

Search engine optimisation - the price of visibility on the web

We have recently had a few consultations with a number of UK and US search engine optimisation (SEO) experts. For the uninitiated, seo is the art of making your website visible on the internet with a view to acquiring consistent levels of organic traffic

Its a complex area. It is also a "new" industry and as such there are good bad and ugly operators who can work wonders with your site - or likewise shaft you completely getting you banned by the big search engines (well ok I mean Google)

We needed advice on:

Good link resources - oneway links back to our site etcA tip or two about internal linking (anchor text and navigation)Ideas for fresh content (news etc)A few tips on the layout of the pages and template generally

Its tough grasping these issues at times but you must have an understanding of the key elements otherwise you may be inviting trouble. We thought we knew this business fairly well - we were wrong

The SEO world has moved on and become even more complex than it was before and it has also become incredibly expensive. Google is now bigger, cleverer and more sensitive to "cheating" its algorithm.

I was not particularly impressed by the expertise I encountered - most firms did not inspire confidence and yet still demanded huge fees. One firm quoted my £5-7500 per month!

We have recently had a few consultations with a number of UK and US search engine optimisation (SEO) experts. For the uninitiated, seo is the art of making your website visible on the internet with a view to acquiring consistent levels of organic traffic

Its a complex area. It is also a "new" industry and as such there are good bad and ugly operators who can work wonders with your site - or likewise shaft you completely getting you banned by the big search engines (well ok I mean Google)

We needed advice on:

Good link resources - oneway links back to our site etcA tip or two about internal linking (anchor text and navigation)Ideas for fresh content (news etc)A few tips on the layout of the pages and template generally

Its tough grasping these issues at times but you must have an understanding of the key elements otherwise you may be inviting trouble. We thought we knew this business fairly well - we were wrong

The SEO world has moved on and become even more complex than it was before and it has also become incredibly expensive. Google is now bigger, cleverer and more sensitive to "cheating" its algorithm.

I was not particularly impressed by the expertise I encountered - most firms did not inspire confidence and yet still demanded huge fees. One firm quoted my £5-7500 per month!

Sunday, February 11, 2007

The personal injury sector is about to undergo radical change as the government attempts to drag the industry kicking and screaming into a new regulated environment.

The legal profession has been crying out for this and by April 07 the regulatory body will finally bare its teeth. Here is the DCA website - its hard to find on their main site so bookmark the link if required.

The regulations are designed to put a stop to sharp practices in the industry with genuine claimants losing hard earned compensation in payment of legal fees or expenses that should otherwise be recoverable from the defendants. Cases are captured by non qualified / regulated claims farmers and then sold on to solicitors desperate for the work. Kickbacks for medical reporting fees and insurance abound and the client can often (but not always) lose out.

There are many more issues at stake but lets just say Im in total agreement with the forthcoming changes.

My worry is that the changes will ironically hit some law firms more than they will the so called claims farmers. Many law firms dont market themselves and instead rely on being fed work from the claims farmers. Some law firms pay good money for the cases - £450-600 per accepted claim - and have no other sources for acquiring new business.

The claims farmers are rushing to obtain authorisation under the new regs. Most of the decent ones will prevail and may actually be empowered by the new rules. They will gain a form of legitimacy that up to now has eluded them.

Some claims firms will however not bother to seek regulation. They may be too small to cope with the fees or the onerus duties involved. They may be too damn dodgy to even give a sh!t. They wont like the fact that they cannot cold call in the way they did previously and they wont like the promise of a random inspection by the regulatory body (who have suggested they will take a peek from time to time)

This will create a sub layer of "bad" firms that will trade around the regs. This sub layer will still find desperate solicitors ready to accept their work - despite knowing that this is a breach of Law Society rules and completely illegal.

Its a supply and demand situation. Such firms may eventually die off, but my fear is that they will become re-sellers flogging their illegally acquired claims through legitimate regulated firms. Imagine that - crap firms still trading but selling on thru legit companies.

So what of the legitimate firms? There will be less competition. The big ones are going to become powerful. They will hold court in a similar way to, God forbid, TAG & Claims Direct

If you want a stocks option tip - there it is. The big claims companies will grow.

The law firms on the other hand have a major problem. The smaller firms will struggle to gain panel memberships. They will be faced by TESCO law fairly soon and this will eat away again at the opportunities available. There will simply be less business available for small to medium sized law firms in this sector.

So here are some thoughts for any law firm out there who might find themselves in the firing line. I dont seek to patronise nor do I pretend I am a soothsayer with a crystal ball. I do, however, know something about marketing and I work for a firm that has already grasped some of these issues:

1) The next few years are going to be very difficult - there will not be enough work - register that thought. Its a fact

2) Tesco law will eat away at everything. Check the Halifax legal services website which is a similar venture and equally frightening - just for a moment imagine the scale - the threat and the reality.

3) Market yourselves. If you dont know how to - learn. Get yourself a marketing consultant - recruit one even. It might be £30k-40k well spent

4) Provide a marketing budget - this will need to be over and beyond what you are currently

spending (although if your claims are no longer coming in - you can re-assign those funds)

5) Build a website that works and brings traffic. Learn about web advertising and organic search engine ranking. If you dont have a workable website - give your senior partner a slap

6) Look at other products - financial services for example - its a great niche seldom embraced by law firms. Use the "trust" factor most lawyers have - OK we may not be well liked in some quarters but we definitely out rank an IFA.

7) Look at staff levels - have you too many fee earners right now? Should you promote any more partners or associates that you may need to ditch next year?

8) If you are an up and coming solicitor - is your firm doing enough to protect your future? If not - MOVE ON. But before you do, why not make a few suggestions about managing some of these issues.